Anyone looking for geotechnical software in Italy almost always reaches the same crossroads: GeoStru or GEO5? They are the two most widespread suites in geology and geotechnical engineering practices, they cover largely overlapping fields and they are often mentioned together, as if they were interchangeable. They are not: they come from different philosophies and suit different practices. This comparison, updated in September 2026, lines up the differences that really matter — analysis capability, standards, modules, calculation report, licences and real costs, web version — with one warning up front: software that is easy to use is not software for easy problems. They are two different things, and confusing them is the most common mistake found online.
Transparency note: this article is published by GeoStru. We have described GEO5 with the same care as our own products, using only public information from the developer (Fine) and from the Italian distributor (Eiseko), price list included; if you find an inaccuracy, write to us and we will correct it.
Who the two contenders are
- GeoStru is an Italian software house, active since the early 2000s, that develops over 50 desktop programs for geology, geotechnics, rock mechanics, in-situ testing, geophysics and seismics, hydrology and hydraulics, structures (Fondazioni CA, RC-SEC), infrastructure, energy and bills of quantities. The programs can be bought individually or in the GeoBuild suite; there is also the GeoStru NX web platform with artificial intelligence and pay-per-use (free account, with free Atlante NX and 30 complimentary credits). Over 50,000 active licences in 135 countries.
- GEO5 is the geotechnical suite of Fine, a Czech software house based in Prague, distributed in Italy by Eiseko Computers. It counts around forty programs and modules — from foundations to retaining structures, from slopes to tunnels — organised in a unified environment with data transfer between programs, a finite element module (FEM) with paid extensions for tunnels, water flow, consolidation and earthquake, and a Geology package (Stratigraphy, Logs and Cross Sections). Since 2025 it uses the Fine cloud licence system and is released in yearly editions (GEO5 2026).
Easy to use does not mean for easy cases
A perception circulates online that needs correcting: GeoStru “for everyday practice”, GEO5 “for complex problems”. It does not survive a technical examination. Ease of use — intuitive interface, data entered in minutes, report ready — is a design choice of the GeoStru programs; analysis capability is another matter, and it is measured on the methods implemented and on the projects in which the software is used. A few facts:
- Non-linear finite elements. GFAS is GeoStru’s geotechnical FEM solver, developed and maintained by the GeoStru team for over twenty years; since 2007 Prof. Cosmin G. Chiorean, full professor of structural engineering at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, has collaborated as a researcher and contributed components of the code (as for RSL III 2D), with research documented in peer-reviewed international journals (Engineering Structures, Computers & Structures, Journal of Constructional Steel Research). It tackles the same class of problems as Plaxis and the GEO5 FEM: tunnels, staged excavations, slope stability, settlement of embankments and foundations, soil-structure interaction, seepage, modal dynamic analysis, with beam elements, geogrids, nails and anchors, a mesh generator and staged analysis. Alongside it there is QSIM for dynamic analysis.
- Reinforced concrete structures. Fondazioni CA — continuous beams and grillages on Winkler soil, rafts, footings, piles and micropiles with linear and non-linear springs, ULS/SLS combinations — has hundreds of active licences and is, for completeness, hard to match in Fine’s offer. RC-SEC, among GeoStru’s best-selling programs in Italy, analyses RC sections of any shape with NTC 2018 checks at ULS and at the first-yield limit state, direct and indirect ductility checks and moment-curvature diagrams (also with the Mander model for pushover analyses).
- Bills of quantities and site accounting. Computo NX is a fully-fledged bill-of-quantities and works-accounting program with hundreds of users: 533 official Italian price lists, over 6.5 million items, measurement book, cost summary, AI-assisted generation from a description, a PDF or a BIM (IFC) model. There is nothing equivalent in Fine’s catalogue.
- Projects. GeoStru’s clients include railway-sector companies and Metropolitana S.p.A.; the programs have been used in the metro projects of Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca and, recently, in the design of shopping centres in Oradea (Romania), where SPW – Sheet piles and diaphragm walls was used extensively for the excavation support works. Universities, publications and public reports declaring the software used are collected on the GeoStru references page.
The right distinction, therefore, is not “simple versus complex” but breadth versus specialisation: GeoStru covers almost all the work of the geologist and of the geotechnical-structural engineer, GEO5 is more focused on the geotechnical design of structures. Both tackle demanding problems; they do so with different tools and different business models.
The comparison in one table
| Aspect | GeoStru | GEO5 (Fine) |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Italy, early 2000s | Czech Republic; in Italy through Eiseko |
| Breadth of catalogue | Over 50 programs: geotechnics, geology, geophysics/seismics, in-situ testing, hydrology/hydraulics, RC structures, roads, energy, bills of quantities | About 40 programs and modules, focused on geotechnics and geotechnical structures (foundations, retaining structures, slopes, tunnels, FEM) |
| Finite elements | GFAS: non-linear FEM with tunnels, staged excavations, slopes, settlements, soil-structure interaction, seepage and modal dynamic analysis in a single program; QSIM for dynamics | Basic FEM plus separate Tunnel, Water Flow, Consolidation and Earthquake extensions, each with its own subscription |
| RC structures | Fondazioni CA (beams, grillages, rafts, footings, piles), RC-SEC and RC-SEC-FRP (sections, ductility, moment-curvature) | RC design inside the geotechnical programs (walls, sheeting, piles); Beam and Slab programs |
| Bills of quantities | Computo NX: 533 official price lists, 6.5 million items, measurement book, AI from PDF/BIM | Not available |
| Standards | Italian NTC 2018 and Circular 7/2019 native in every program, seismic action computed by the software; Eurocodes; foreign standards in individual modules | Database of settings per country (EN 1997 with the Italian national annex, non-European codes); seismic action entered by the designer as coefficients kh and kv |
| Geophysics and seismics | Easy HVSR, Easy MASW, Easy Refract, Downhole, RSL III (1D/2D), PS Advanced, Microzonation, Liquiter | Not covered: hazard, local seismic response and liquefaction need other tools |
| In-situ testing and stratigraphy | Dynamic Probing, Static Probing, Stratigrapher, Slope 2D Section, GM3D, GIT | Geology package: Stratigraphy, Logs, Cross Sections, Earthworks; Data Collector for field survey |
| Hydrology and hydraulics | Runoff Lab, Hydrologic Risk, GeoTheis, ESD, HID (hydraulic invariance) | Water Flow as a FEM extension; does not cover hydrology |
| Licence model | One-off perpetual licence per program or suite; updates and support included for the first year, then optional yearly renewal equal to 10% of the list price; Professional/Enterprise/PA editions; Educational licences | Annual subscription per program or package (Personal, Business, Enterprise); perpetual licence available at 3 times the subscription, only with an active subscription; cloud licence transferable to a PC or hardware key |
| Reference prices (2026 price lists) | Slope €490, SPW €490, Loadcap €390, MP €390, Stratigrapher €390, GFAS €790 — one-off (+ VAT) | Slope Stability €400, Sheeting Design €300, Spread Footing €400, Pile €400, Stratigraphy €400, FEM €1,500 — per year, Personal licence (+ VAT) |
| Web version | GeoStru NX: in the browser, no installation, with AI and pay-per-use (credits) | Not available: Windows desktop software |
| Artificial intelligence | AI assistant integrated in NX (import of PDFs and tables, explanation of results); GILA for the desktop | Not declared |
| Free trial | Free trial of the desktop; the NX apps have no trial: free account with Atlante NX (free) and 30 complimentary credits for the calculation apps (then credit packages from €49, no subscription) | Free demo version; student licences |
| Manuals and training | help.geostru.io, video tutorials, Gomeeting courses | Engineering manuals, video tutorials, distributor courses |
The differences that really weigh
1. Breadth versus specialisation
GeoStru covers almost all of a practice’s work: from the penetration test to the borehole log, from local seismic response to slope stability, from RC foundations to the bill of quantities, with a non-linear FEM for the cases where limit equilibrium is not enough. One vendor, one interface and report logic. GEO5 is more focused on the geotechnical design of structures — foundations, sheeting walls, retaining walls, slopes, tunnels — with some specialist modules that GeoStru does not have (for example Ground Loss, for building damage induced by tunnelling, or Shaft for circular shafts) and with data transfer between programs as a declared strength. If you work only in that band and in several countries, GEO5’s specialisation has value; if your work is the complete geological and geotechnical report, with seismics, in-situ tests, structures and bills of quantities, GeoStru’s breadth weighs more.
2. Finite elements: GFAS, twenty years of development with academic research
On FEM the commonplace is that “serious non-linear analysis” lives elsewhere. GFAS (Finite Element System for Geotechnical Applications) has been developed and maintained by the GeoStru team for over twenty years, with the collaboration since 2007 of Prof. Cosmin G. Chiorean of the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, head of the research unit Computational Modeling and Advanced Simulation in Structural and Geotechnical Engineering: geometric modeller, automatic triangular mesh generator refined at critical points, staged construction analysis, beam elements, geogrids, nails and anchors, boundary conditions on displacements and stiffnesses, linear and non-linear elastic models with the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion, seepage, modal dynamic analysis, ready templates for slopes, structures, tunnels and reinforced earth. It is the same class of problems tackled with Plaxis or with the GEO5 FEM; the substantial difference is economic: in GEO5 tunnels, seepage, consolidation and earthquake are four extensions with four subscriptions (€1,500 + 400 + 400 per year on top of the €1,500 of the basic FEM, Personal price list), in GFAS they are inside one program at €790 one-off. Those who need advanced constitutive models (Hardening Soil, Cam-Clay) remain in Plaxis territory; for the vast majority of professional analyses the Mohr-Coulomb model with stages and soil-structure interaction is what is needed, and the resulting report is verifiable.
3. Italian standards: native versus configurable
Here the comparison cannot stop at “both are compatible with the Eurocodes”, because the Italian NTC 2018 has peculiarities that really affect the checks. GEO5 manages standards through a system of predefined settings per country: for Italy you select the EN 1997 settings with the national annex partial factors, and the system — very elegant for those working across several countries — is consistent and transparent. What remains with the Italian designer is everything that in the NTC is not a simple coefficient:
- Seismic action. In GEO5 the earthquake enters as horizontal and vertical coefficients kh and kv to be entered: their determination according to NTC 2018 — ag, F0, TC* from the INGV grid for the site and the limit state, subsoil and topographic category, βs coefficients for slopes (Table 7.11.I) and βm for walls (Table 7.11.II) — has to be done beforehand, with other tools. In the GeoStru programs (Slope, MDC, SPW, Loadcap) the seismic action is computed by the software from the site coordinates, and PS Advanced returns the spectra for all limit states.
- Local seismic response, subsoil category, liquefaction. NTC §7.11.3 (VS,eq, local seismic response, liquefaction check §7.11.3.4) is outside GEO5’s scope: you need programs such as RSL III, Easy HVSR/Easy MASW and Liquiter, which in GeoStru are native and pass their data on to the checks.
- Sheeting walls in seismic zones. The NTC allows verification in terms of displacements: DReW Seismic computes the displacements of free sheeting walls under earthquake, a step that with GEO5 has to be integrated separately.
- RC structures. The first-yield limit state for foundations in the seismic combination (new in NTC 2018) and the ductility checks of §7.4 are in RC-SEC and Fondazioni CA; in the RC design built into the GEO5 programs they have to be checked case by case.
None of these steps is impossible with GEO5; they are integrations that the designer has to make, document and defend at the review stage. With GeoStru, NTC 2018 and Circular 7/2019 are the programs’ natural environment, and the calculation report quotes them in the terms the checker will look for.
4. The calculation report
Both produce a complete report, exportable to Word and PDF. The GeoStru report is designed for Italian filing: structure, terminology and code references are what technical offices expect. The GEO5 report is more “international” and more editable, appreciated by those working with foreign clients. It is worth asking both for a sample report and reading it through the eyes of your checker.
5. Licences and real cost: perpetual versus subscription
This is the difference that has changed most in recent years, and it must be made explicit. Fine has moved GEO5 to an annual subscription: in the current EUR price list (valid from 1 November 2025, updated 5 June 2026) the Personal licence costs, every year, €400 for Slope Stability, €300 for Sheeting Design, €400 for Spread Footing, €400 for Pile, €400 for Stratigraphy and €1,500 for the FEM; the complete Professional package is €8,000 per year; the perpetual licence can be bought at three times the subscription, and only while keeping an active subscription. GeoStru sells one-off perpetual licences: Slope €490, SPW €490, Loadcap €390, MP €390, Stratigrapher €390, GFAS €790 (+ VAT), with updates and support included for the first year and an optional yearly renewal equal to 10% of the list price; those who do not renew keep using the version they own. In other words: a year of GEO5 subscription costs as much as a GeoStru perpetual licence. Over three years, with updates always active:
| Calculation | GeoStru (perpetual + 2 renewals) | GEO5 (3 years of Personal subscription) |
|---|---|---|
| Slope stability | Slope: 490 + 49 + 49 = €588 | Slope Stability: 3 × 400 = €1,200 |
| Sheeting walls | SPW: 490 + 49 + 49 = €588 | Sheeting Design: 3 × 300 = €900 (Sheeting Check: €1,200) |
| Shallow foundations | Loadcap: 390 + 39 + 39 = €468 | Spread Footing: 3 × 400 = €1,200 |
| Piles and micropiles | MP: 390 + 36 + 36 = €462 | Pile + Micropile: 3 × 700 = €2,100 |
| Borehole logs | Stratigrapher: 390 + 39 + 39 = €468 | Stratigraphy + Logs: 3 × 800 = €2,400 |
| FEM with tunnels, seepage and earthquake | GFAS: 790 + 79 + 79 = €948 | FEM + Tunnel + Water Flow + Earthquake: 3 × 3,800 = €11,400 |
Prices + VAT, from the public 2026 price lists; GEO5 in Personal licence (Business and Enterprise cost more). Always check products, modules and included services before comparing: the right calculation is the cost per job over three years with only the modules you need.
6. Desktop, web and artificial intelligence
Here the difference is clear-cut. GEO5 is Windows desktop software. GeoStru keeps the desktop and additionally offers GeoStru NX: the same calculations in the browser, no installation, with an AI assistant that imports data from PDFs and tables and explains the results, paying only for the calculations you run; the account is free, includes Atlante NX and starts with 30 complimentary credits. For those who work from several workstations, run occasional calculations or want to use a program without buying the licence, it is an alternative that GEO5 does not have today.
7. Geophysics, seismics and hydrology
If HVSR, MASW, local seismic response, seismic hazard, pumping tests or hydrological studies are part of your practice, GeoStru covers them with dedicated programs (Easy HVSR, Easy MASW, RSL III, PS Advanced, GeoTheis, Runoff Lab); with GEO5 you need other tools.
When GEO5 is the better choice
- You work in several countries and need to switch from one national annex to another in the same environment.
- You need its specialist modules (tunnelling-induced building damage, circular shafts, block manufacturers’ catalogues) or the unified environment where data flows from one program to the next.
- The subscription model suits you (for example on single fixed-term commissions).
When GeoStru is the better choice
- You are a geology or engineering practice in Italy and want a single vendor for the geological report, in-situ tests, seismics, slopes, foundations, RC structures and bills of quantities.
- You want native NTC 2018, seismic action included, and a report ready for filing with no integrations.
- You need a complete non-linear FEM (tunnels, stages, seepage, dynamics) without paying four subscriptions.
- You prefer owning the licence: certain cost, no mandatory fee, optional 10% renewal.
- You need flexibility: desktop for the everyday programs and pay-per-use on NX for the occasional ones, with AI speeding up data entry.
Can they be used together?
Yes, and some practices do: GEO5 for the specialist modules or for foreign commissions, GeoStru for in-situ tests, borehole logs, seismics, slopes, foundations, structures and the geotechnical report. Both import and export DXF and Excel, so exchanging sections and data is simple. There is no obligation to choose a single suite: it is better to choose the best program for each type of calculation — we have collected the main ones, free ones included, in the guide to the best software for geologists.
How to decide in a week
- Take a real job already delivered (a geotechnical report with foundation, sheeting wall and slope in a seismic zone, for example).
- Redo it with the GeoStru free trial and with the GEO5 demo, seismic action included.
- Compare three things: data entry time (code integrations included), results (they must match, apart from the assumptions), and the calculation report read through the eyes of the checker.
- Do the maths over three years with the modules you really need, price lists in hand.
Frequently asked questions
No. Ease of use is a design choice, not an analysis limit: GeoStru includes a non-linear FEM (GFAS, developed over twenty years with the collaboration of the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca) for tunnels, staged excavations, soil-structure interaction, seepage and dynamics, structural programs such as Fondazioni CA and RC-SEC with hundreds of licences, and its software has been used in railway and metro projects (Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca) and in large excavation support works with SPW.
There is no answer that is valid for everyone. GeoStru covers almost all of a practice’s work (in-situ tests, borehole logs, seismics, slopes, foundations, FEM, RC structures, bills of quantities) with native NTC 2018, perpetual licences and the NX web version with pay-per-use AI; GEO5 is more focused on structural geotechnical design, with specialist modules and code settings for many countries, on an annual subscription. The choice depends on the prevailing type of work and on the preferred cost model.
Partly. GEO5 is distributed in Italy by Eiseko, has an Italian interface and reports and includes the EN 1997 settings with the Italian national annex (partial factors and design approaches). The seismic action, however, has to be determined by the designer and entered as coefficients kh and kv, and local seismic response, subsoil category, liquefaction (§7.11.3) and seismic displacements of sheeting walls require other tools. In GeoStru, NTC 2018 and Circular 7/2019 are native, seismic action included.
GeoStru sells one-off perpetual licences (Slope €490, SPW €490, Loadcap €390, MP €390, GFAS €790 + VAT) with updates and support included for the first year and an optional 10% yearly renewal. GEO5 is on an annual subscription: Slope Stability €400, Sheeting Design €300, Spread Footing €400, Pile €400, FEM €1,500 per year in Personal licence (Fine 2026 price list); the perpetual licence costs three times the subscription and requires an active subscription. Over three years Slope costs €588 against €1,200, the FEM with tunnels and earthquake €948 against €11,400.
Yes, in different ways. GeoStru offers a free trial of the desktop programs on request from the website. The GeoStru NX calculation apps have no trial version: the account is free, includes Atlante NX (a free product for the documentary basis of the report) and gives 30 complimentary credits to spend on the calculation apps; after that you buy credit packages from €49, with no subscription. Fine provides a demo version of GEO5 and student licences.
Yes: GEO5 for the specialist modules or foreign commissions, GeoStru for in-situ tests, borehole logs, seismics, slopes, foundations, structures and the geotechnical report. Both exchange data in DXF and Excel.
Further reading
- The best software for geologists in 2026: a guide by category
- GFAS – finite element analysis in geotechnics · Fondazioni CA · RC-SEC · Computo NX
- In depth: Fondazioni CA and RC-SEC: first yield, ductility and pile-soil interaction to NTC 2018 · Computo NX: bills of quantities with AI and 500 price lists
- Catalogue of GeoStru software for geotechnics and for geology
- GeoStru NX: the programs in the browser, with AI and pay-per-use
- Request a free trial of the desktop software
Comparison updated in September 2026 from public information by Fine (EUR price list of 5 June 2026) and Eiseko. Comments: info@geostru.eu.
